This is a thread where we can talk about some writing conventions you can use to improve your story.
A writing convention is when the author words their story and uses certain techniques to allow the reader to engage with the story. This can be through the use of punctuation for example, writing in short sentences to build tension as the reader breathes faster.
So let’s look at some other famous writing conventions and we can go over more in the thread:
Chekhov’s Gun
This phrase effectively comes from the fact that every detail of the story should contribute to the overall plot. For example if in the first chapter a gun is hung on the wall then in the next it should be fired (Chekhov’s Gun). This means that if you attract the readers attention to something, you should make that thing useful unless of course it is a…
Red Herring
This is when you attract the readers attention to one thing, only for the other thing to be the contributing factor to the plot. Remember in a series of unfortunate events when the Baudelaire’s thought that the Quagmire’s were going to be auctioned off in one slot so thet focused on that one but it turned out they were in a giant red herring. That is what this is.
McGuffin
Otherwise known as the “trigger” for the plot.
